It does occur to me though, that in watching these on a standalone basis, while one can appreciate that the images on the screen are sharp, clean, well contrasted and nicely balanced, the real difference can be better seen when comparing a prior release and these new ones side by side. Visual noise is also evident in many original prints, but here, both are minimal and, in some cases, non-existent. One of the main issues with second, third and older generation prints is that each time a copy is made, ‘noise’, a persistent hiss and sometimes crackle, is amplified each time. You might also notice how ‘clean’ the sound is. I did however notice a hair in the titles frame for The Music Box, but I point that out purely to prove I noticed it (!) and a little less indulgently, to show that you have to look really hard to find any significant fault with these prints.
There are others out there with far more expertise in this area, but the absence of travelling scratches, flickering and generally different quality prints edited together to make a full film (a frustrating but understandable tactic employed on several occasions in the 21-disc box-set) is so very pleasing to see. I’m not going to consider each film individually and compare and contrast the quality of the prints. Prints with sound on the film would have lopped off much of the image at the left of the frame.” We’ve been looking at a severely cropped version for our whole lives! The source used for the new video is a “full aperture” frame size, used in prints for theaters which employed the sound-on-disc method. On the framing, Randy Skretvedt says of Hog Wild: “Notice how much more image area there is. Well, these restored versions just don’t move. There is usually a good percentage of extra screen visible and rather than the image moving around and being unsteady. I’ve already mentioned that the standard of the prints are streets ahead of anything seen before, but the biggest difference – for me – is the framing. This, I think, illustrates Randy’s point very well with the highlighted area showing what we are used to seeing, and the rest of the image confirming what you can expect with these versions! I’m happy to share my source with you if you drop me an email at or get in touch through the ‘contact us’ section on the main menu of the website.Īnyway, on we go, but trust me, this set is a ‘must have’ for any self-respecting Laurel and Hardy aficionado.
There is still no sign of a UK release, but several stockists in the US are happy to ship them over the pond and all are ‘region free’ so there are no issues playing them on UK category DVD and Blu-Ray players. (Sorry, but whenever I see or hear that word, I think of Ollie in Sons of the Desert: “Meticulous.
They have been meticulously restored by Jeff Joseph/SabuCat in conjunction with the UCLA Film and Television Archive and the Library of Congress. The selection is from 2K and 4K digital restorations taken from the original 35mm nitrate stock. After all, why would you be looking to spend your hard earned on new versions of the films you already have by importing them from the good old US of A, unless of course you are a proper fully paid up, card carrying, Laurel and Hardy buff. of each individual film either, on the supposition, dear reader, that you already know them. I’m also not going to go into the plot detail etc. All of these are, I am sure, quite valid, but all you need to know is that every single entry in this set is better than any version you have seen before: Miles better. There are other reviews that will go into the minutiae of which restoration is the best, which one isn’t so good, which one isn’t pin sharp, has too much contrast, isn’t light enough etc etc. Note that both the DVD and Blu-ray versions are ‘all region’ and will play in the UK. The quality of the content really is that good! I bought the DVD version from the US as the Beau Chumps meeting venue only has a DVD player, and I really want to introduce these versions to the tent, but I understand from others that the Blu-Ray content is the same, though over four, rather than six discs.
After all, there is nothing like seeing Laurel and Hardy for the first time, and while this is certainly true (for me anyway) of Battle of the Century, every movie featured really is almost like seeing it for the first time. I make no apologies for how long it has taken me to put this review of the six-DVD set together: I had decided early on that I would ration my viewing in order to make the experience last as long as possible. I can very concisely describe my thoughts on the set in two words …. The wait was indeed worth it and appropriately, the release date was June 16 th the 130 th Anniversary of Stan’s birth.